This invention relates to a block unit useful in constructing various structures. More particularly, it relates to a block having specialized contours which renders it particularly useful in providing walls and finished structures having increased strength over prior art constructs, and more particularly those having enhanced resistance to the forces of nature such as high winds and earthquakes. Constructs derived from the block unit and system according to the invention also find use in subterranean earth retention.
The concrete block constructions of the prior art are made of individual blocks which are conventionally rectangular in shape, and which generally have one or more cavities through the blocks from their top to bottom, as such are familiar to those in the art. During their use in fabricating structures, a layer of mortar is layered onto a foundation, and a course of closely spaced blocks are laid on the mortar layer, with additional mortar applied between the contiguous block ends. Another layer of mortar is applied to the top of the first course and additional courses are similarly laid, generally staggering the block ends from course to course. Generally, some uncommon degree of skill is required to achieve level courses and a vertical wall, and because of the skill required for such construction, construction costs of such structures are not the most economic availably. These blocks have vertically aligned cavities that can be optionally filled with reinforcing materials such as rebar and concrete to provide added strength to a wall formed from such conventional blocks.
Various types of mortarless interlocking blocks have been devised by various workers to facilitate the construction of block walls and other structures. Most of such blocks have been prohibitively expensive to the end consumer for reasons which include the requirement that the interlocking portions (usually grooves or protrusions) must be cut into the blocks after they have been formed, typically by molding. Further, it is difficult to maintain the required tight tolerances required for accurate construction of large walls or other structures through the molding and cutting steps. The prior blocks often required additional finishing or grinding steps to meet the require tolerances which adds to their production costs.
Certain specialized blocks of the prior art have been used successfully for many years. While generally effective, the prior art block designs often require three or more different block configurations may for many structures, such as walls, buildings with openings and floor panels connected to the block wall. Additional block configurations require the manufacture of additional expensive molds and increased cost and time in changing molds in a block making machine and maintaining and inventory of the different block configurations. Further, many building walls made from the blocks of prior art have excessive thermal conductivity across the wall, which is a particular problem in cold climates where the interior is heated or in hot climates where the interior is cooled. Heat transmission across such a wall varies between areas where the blocks have large open internal cavities and areas where the cavities are filled with concrete reinforcing material or insulative materials. In addition to the undesirable loss of interior heating or cooling through the wall, with heated buildings, cold spots may form on the interior of the wall that condense water from the inside atmosphere and run down the wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,678 discloses an interlocking building block construction comprising an overlapping masonry block having opposite sides, stepped opposite upper and lower longitudinal faces, and stepped opposite vertical end faces. There are a plurality of spaced tapered recesses with flat bottom surfaces are located on the upper longitudinal face, and a plurality of correspondingly shaped lugs are formed in the lower longitudinal face. There are two enlarged rectangular openings extending entirely through the block located in the central area of the upper and lower faces between the vertical end faces. A plurality of small apertures are formed in and adjacent to the lugs for receiving pins for interlocking adjacent blocks. Header blocks, pilaster blocks, partition blocks and filler blocks are provided for interlocking assembly with the interlocking building blocks to build walls of a building without the use of grout or cement. These special component blocks are formed with tapered recesses and lugs corresponding to the recesses and lugs of the interlocking building block for interlocking assembly therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,949 sets forth a wall comprising superposed rows of longitudinally aligned building blocks, the blocks having approximately parallel front and back faces connected by a plurality of transverse webs defining chambers between the webs, the top and bottom of the front and back faces being approximately parallel and providing longitudinally extending tops and bottoms for the blocks, the tops and bottoms being formed to include uniformly spaced apart ball-receiving depressions positioned so that the depressions in the tops of each block mate with the depressions in the bottoms of the block above it, balls fitted into the space defined by mating depressions, the balls being slightly larger than the mating depressions to space the blocks. The depressions in the tops of each block are machined to a specific depth in relation to the height of the block so that the interconnection of the blocks by the balls provides horizontal alignment for each ball-supported block. The upper face of the webs are formed with longitudinally aligned V-shaped grooves which are accurately positioned at a uniform distance from the front faces of the blocks, and elongated straight bars of circular cross-section fitted in the grooves and extending longitudinally and horizontally from one block to the next to provide longitudinal alignment of the blocks in each row.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,447 discloses a building block to be used in the construction of houses, buildings, garages, sheds and the like, which is constructed of expanded, polystyrene beads. The building block is to be arranged with other similar building blocks in a vertically orientated, horizontally staggered relationship. Each building block is constructed of two parts which are adhesively secured together in a facing relationship. Each building block includes a pair of vertically aligned openings. When the building block is in the assembled, stacked relationship with other similar building blocks, there are a series of horizontally aligned openings to permit the conducting of rigid reinforcing rods between the blocks. Each building block includes within its upper surface and lower surface interlocking structure which is to interlock with other similar blocks when located in the stacked relationship.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,746 teaches a wall assembly comprising a plurality of repeating building blocks successively arranged in a tandem array within a row, the wall assembly comprising a number of rows, each stacked one above another, the tandem arrays within each row facing in an opposite direction with respect to an adjacent row stacked above and below thereto, for the purpose of enhancing lateral forces such as those produced during an earthquake, each building block of the array being generally rectilinear with the exception of two oppositely disposed distal end walls having arcuate, circumferential male and female mating surfaces, respectively, each arcuate, circumferential male and female mating surface having a radial diameter almost equal to a width of the block to further enhance resistance to the lateral forces, each end wall being rotatively engageable with an arcuate mating end wall of an adjacent block of the assembly at any desired angle of rotation within a limited range of arc defined by circumferential end abutments terminating the arcuate mating surfaces of the mating end walls, each male end wall having means defining a hole for receiving vertical reinforcement, each hole being in registry with a hole of a block of an adjacent row stacked above and below thereto, the vertical reinforcement still further enhancing the wall assembly to resist lateral earthquake forces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,035 sets forth a mortarless, lightweight building block and walls formed therefrom. The block is generally rectangular and comprises side walls, end walls, and an interior wall which divides the interior of the block into two vertical passages through the block. In certain blocks, parts of the end and interior walls are removed to form horizontal channels through the blocks. The blocks are provided with projections and recesses having rectangular cross sections by which means they may be interlocked together to form walls. In such a wall, the vertical passages and horizontal channels may receive reinforcing structures to impart added strength and load bearing properties to the wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,135 discloses a building block, comprising: 1) a pair of longitudinally extending side faces each having a top and a bottom end; 2) a pair of laterally extended end faces joined to the side faces at opposite lateral ends of the block defining an elongate cavity; 3) a pair of protuberances extending from opposite end faces into the cavity, each protuberance having a top face and bottom face and extending completely through the block from the top ends of the side faces to the bottom ends of the side faces; and 4) a pair of tenons attached to and extending out from the top face of the protuberances at opposite lateral ends of the block, each tenon allowing engagement with a corresponding mortise from a vertically adjacent block at different angles within a horizontal plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,542 teaches Interlocking concrete form modules suitable for creating a concrete wall form is disclosed. The modules have the general shape of a right rectangular parallelepiped with parallel side walls joined by integral webs that define a plurality of parallel elongate cavities. The edges of the side walls include tongues and grooves that allow the modules to be interlocked to form a wall. The ends of the webs are undercut such that cavities between the modules are created when the modules are suitably interlocked. The between-the-module cavities lie orthogonal to the through-the-module cavities. The modules are formed of an insulating material and left in place. Preferably, the tongues along one edge include notches aligned with the webs. In one embodiment, the modules substantially entirely are formed of relatively dense expanded polystyrene (xe2x80x9cEPSxe2x80x9d). The density of the EPS is adequate to hold threaded wall anchors. In an alternate embodiment, the modules are formed of less dense EPS and include embedded nonmetallic attachment elements that are sized and positioned such that surfaces of the attachment elements lie coplanar with the outer surfaces of the side walls of the modules. Preferably, the nonmetallic attachment elements span substantially the entire height of the modules to create equi-spaced furring strips that cover substantially the entire height of a wall formed when the modules are suitably assembled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,119 sets forth a wall construction, comprising a plurality of shaped bricks joined in dry construction to one another, each brick having a first bearing surface which is provided with a groove formed laterally with a lateral recess, and a second bearing surface which is provided with a key formed laterally with a lateral projection, with the projection and the recess being complementarily shaped and positioned such that the projection on a first brick is engageable with the recess of a second brick when the second brick is stacked on the first brick for restraining displacement in a longitudinal direction of the second brick relative to the first brick, the brick being formed with chases extending perpendicular to the first and second bearing surfaces and including a central channel and semi tubular channels at opposing end faces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,635 teaches a modular building unit adapted for interfitting with adjacent building units; the modular building unit comprising: 1) a block formed of a homogenous material and including a pair of parallel rectangular end supporting faces, a pair of parallel rectangular side faces, and parallel rectangular upper and lower supporting faces; and 2) a pair of continuous mounting strips extending along and supported on the pair of end supporting faces and the upper and lower supporting faces about the entire periphery of the block and projecting outwardly from the block supporting faces, each of the strips having an outer planar surface extending in a generally perpendicular direction from the adjacent supporting faces of the block and recessed inwardly from the adjacent parallel supporting faces of the block a predetermined amount, the mounting strips secured to the supporting faces and having portions thereon for intermitting with mating portions on adjacent modular building units, the mounting strips being mortar and the block being a clay brick.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,797 discloses a masonry system in which specially shaped brick are dry-stacked and subsequently bonded by pouring mortar or grout into apertures in the brick to flow through the stacked structure to surround the individual brick leaving the front and rear faces exposed. The brick have alignment projections extending from the bottom bed faces which register with alignment grooves in the top bed faces of the lower brick to align the upper brick prior to bonding. The projections and grooves define a recess to admit mortar between adjacent brick faces. The brick also have recesses in the header faces to admit mortar between adjacent header faces. The front faces of the brick are contoured to create the appearance of mortar joints when the brick are stacked. The brick may be manufactured by extrusion, wire cutting and final shaping using suitable blades to achieve the desired finished shape. If desired, certain apertures through the brick may be covered over using a suitably shaped blade operating under appropriate conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,243 teaches an interlocking and insulated form pattern assembly used in creating a wall structure for receiving a poured concrete, the form pattern assembly comprising: 1) a first integrally molded and durable form structure having a substantially rectangular configuration with a height, a length and a width, the first form structure further including a plurality of interiorly and arcuately formed walls which define in combination vertically extending concrete filling passageways and longitudinally extending concrete filling passageways; 2) interlocking means for securing the first form structure in an aligned fashion to additionally and identically construct form structures according to a specified stacking arrangement so that the vertically extending passageways and the longitudinally extending passageways extend continuously throughout the stacking arrangement, the interlocking means including alternating projecting portions and recessed portions extending longitudinally along first and second sides of the rectangularly configured form structure and from both upwardly facing surfaces and corresponding downwardly facing surfaces of the form structure so that a selected form structure is capable of being reversibly engaged with at least one further selected form structure; and 3) moisture drainage means extending both horizontally and vertically within the first form structure and communicating with additional moisture drainage means formed in the identically constructed form structures to create interconnected horizontally and vertically extending drainage channels in the stacking arrangement of form structures, the moisture drainage means including a first plurality of horizontally extending and opposingly mating recessed drainage channels formed along the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of each of the selected and stackable form structures, the first plurality of drainage channels communicating with a second plurality of vertically extending drainage channels established within solid wall portions of each of the form structures at spaced apart intervals and in proximity to the first and second sides to create an overall drainage network throughout the wall structure, wherein the stacking arrangement of form structures receiving a poured concrete to fill the vertically and longitudinally extending concrete passageways of the forms, the drainage network being capable of evacuating moisture from within the wall structure of the forms to a footing upon which the form assembly is constructed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,995 teaches a tongue-and-mortise block, for use in the construction of a wall wherein a plurality of like blocks are stacked in successive mortarless overlapping courses so as to define a wall face, the tongue and mortise block comprising two side ends spaced apart by: 1) a top face; 2) a bottom face; 3) a front face; and 4) a rear face, wherein the top face comprises a tongue interlock element and a declining face portion, the declining face portion connecting the tongue interlock element to the front face, the bottom face comprising a mortise interlock element and a forward face portion, the forward face portion connecting the mortise interlock element to the front face. The two side ends, the top face, the bottom face, the front face and the rear face are configured such that, when the block and an underlying, like, block form part of the wall and the bottom face of the block engages the top face of a the underlying block such that the front face of the block defines a portion of the wall face. The tongue interlock element of the underlying block is able to register in the mortise interlock element of the block so as to be able to interlock both blocks such that relative forward and rearward displacement is inhibited. The front face of the block is vertically offset downwardly relative to the tongue element and the rear face thereof.
Attempts have been made to fill the block cavities with loose fiberglass insulation, loose foam particles, foamed in place materials, etc. Loose insulation tends to settle and provide very uneven insulation with resulting cold spots. The insulation cannot be placed in block cavities that are to be filled with reinforcing materials, and this can again result in thermal gradients along the wall, with widely varying interior wall temperatures at insulated and uninsulated areas.
Therefore, there persists a continuing need for improvements in construction block systems to permit lower cost block manufacture and lower cost and more rapid structure assembly from the blocks, as well as the ability to provide thermal insulation in all blocks while still permitting the introduction of reinforcing material into all or some of the blocks. Further, the need for constructs of increased structural strength and integrity persists. The present invention provides a block useful in construction of various structures, which has superior insulative and structural strength properties over blocks of prior art. Further, the blocks of the present invention, by virtue of their design, lend themselves well to mass production of a large number of readily indistinguishable and interchangeable blocks not needing stringent quality control measures during their production as was required by the products of others who tried to provide blocks having the benefits of those provided by the present invention. The features and advantages of the blocks and constructs of this invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill after reading what now follows.
The present invention provides a block useful in the construction of walls and the like that is shaped in the general form of a rectangular solid having a length dimension, a width dimension, and a height dimension. A block according to the invention comprises: a flat top portion, a flat bottom portion, a front face portion, a rear face portion, a first end portion, and a second end portion. There is a single channel portion of uniform depth extending along the entire length dimension of the block, which channel has an open portion coincident with the top portion of said block, and which channel has a floor portion whose lowermost point is preferably disposed at depth of between 20.0% to 80.0% of the height dimension of said block, including every hundredth percentage therebetween. The channel has a preferred width of between 20.0% to 80.0% of the width dimension of said block, including every hundredth percentage therebetween. There is further a protruding portion, which extends along the entire length dimension of the block and is defined by the flat bottom portion and a pair of intersecting shoulder notch portions having surfaces which extend along the entire length dimension of the block. One of the shoulder notch portions is disposed on each side of the protruding portion along the entire length of the protruding portion. In an especially preferred form of the invention, the channel includes at least one, and preferably two, hole(s) on its floor portion, which hole(s) have a centerline coincident with the height dimension of the block and which hole(s) passes through to the exterior of the block through the flat bottom portion.
To provide a wall construction using the blocks of the invention, a single first row of blocks as described is first laid in an end to end arrangement, thus defining a first horizontal channel extending along the length of said row. A first horizontal rebar is then provided within the first horizontal channel, which may be supported up from the bottom portion 8 of the channel element 16 by use of a support or spacer. Next, a second row of blocks according to the invention is stacked atop said first row of blocks in a staggered configuration with respect to said first row of blocks, thus defining a second horizontal channel extending along the length of said second row of blocks. A second horizontal rebar is then provided within the second horizontal channel as before, using spacers or supports on the rebar as desired to elevate the rebar from the bottom portion of the channel element. A successive row of blocks according to the invention is next stacked atop the previous row of blocks in a staggered configuration with respect to said previous row of blocks, thus defining a successive horizontal channel extending along the length of said successive row of blocks. Successive horizontal rebar is provided within the successive horizontal channel, and the foregoing is repeated until a desired height of blocks is achieved, at which point the holes that pass through the floor portion of the channel and flat bottom portion of a given block within the wall are aligned with those of blocks above and below said given block, thus defining a plurality of vertical channels within the wall and an upper horizontal channel disposed along the length of the topmost blocks. A vertically-oriented rebar is provided within each vertical channel along the length of the wall, and a castable cement is poured down into the vertical holes and the upper horizontal channel. By the forces of gravity, the cement fills the vertical holes and horizontal channels and with time cures to a hard cement, thus providing a wall having a beneficial combination of superior strength, simplified fabrication, and economic cost over prior art structures.